Autumn fades rather quickly. The trees go from leafy green to nude in the blink of an eye if you don’t stop to pay attention. It’s a transition that I love; the colours, that brief but perfect time we call sweater weather, the seasonal treats. One of the loveliest sights for me is the sugar maple in our backyard. When the leaves become bright orange and the sun is out, our house is flooded with warm light. For a couple hours a day, a couple weeks a year, autumn is aglow.The oranges and reds have since fallen to the ground, and snow is on the way, but these macaroons are sure to continue brightening the season.

This recipe was created when a friend who is gluten free came for tea over Thanksgiving (thanks, Angela!). I didn’t have any gluten free flours on hand, and wanted something pumpkin flavoured to go with our tea — I tried a version with condensed milk first, but enjoyed a more typical macaroon version which is the recipe below. Enjoy! xox

Pumpkin Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients:
¾ sugar
2 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup puréed pumpkin (natural, unsweetened)
2 large egg whites
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add vanilla and egg whites mix until it’s evenly moist and well incorporated.
3. Use 1 ½ tablespoons to form mounds; place on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake between 20-25 minutes, until macaroons are firm. Let cool on a wire rack. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
5. Once cooled, drizzle melted chocolate on top if desired (it’s usually desired…).